Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
This week marks the debut of the “Five Things You Need To Know” column. Each day of the week, the column will highlight a division from Sunset Speedway, highlighting five drivers and mentioning things that you should know going into the next week of racing.
Brandon McFerran
After scoring his first career championship last season, Brandon McFerran would start off the season on a positive note, scoring the feature victory on opening night.
McFerran had a dominating season last year, scoring eight victories across the board. The teenager showed speed every single week, placing himself in the top-five no matter the starting spot in the feature. No doubt McFerran is the favourite entering the season, but whether he can knock down the same success will be another story. The competition has stepped up their game, and new faces have come about.
“This roster just gets tougher every year,” he commented post-race. “There are eight cars in this division that could win on any given night. We’re going to do everything we need to in order to defend our title, but we’re in for a battle every night
“I don’t think you’re going to see one driver come out and take down five or six wins like last season. The competition out here is as good as it has ever been.”
Ken Townsend
Coming off a season that saw him pick up his first victory, Ken Townsend didn’t kick off the year as he would’ve hoped – finishing deep in the field as a result of mechanical issues.
In the past, Townsend has shown speed to run in the top-10, and a couple times in the top-five. If they can get the No. 21 Honda running as he would like, he could be right up there with the best of the division. However, the other side of the coin has shown its head over past seasons. Townsend has struggled with mechanical issues, resulting in the removal from championship contention.
If he wants to be up there with the best of the division, he will need to avoid those issues from here on out.
Warren Paxton
As a past champion of the division and feature winner from last season, Warren Paxton has easily proven that he can get the job done. He showed that speed on Saturday night, finishing runner-up to McFerran.
Paxton is set to once again run a partial schedule, hoping to pick up a couple wins along the way. Considering the speed he’s shown, that is something that should very likely happen during the season.
Gerrit Tiemersma
After a solid rookie season, Gerrit Tiemersma looked to come into this year, hoping to crack the top-five on a weekly basis. So far that isn’t happening as the teenager struggled on opening night with his new ride.
There’s the key – new ride. Tiemersma brought a brand new car into the year, hoping it’d be the magic ticket to having some success. If he can figure out the mustang out, it could happen. However, if he can’t, it could be a long season for the second generation driver.
Doug Butler
After winning the championship last year at Barrie Speedway, Doug Butler returned to Sunset Speedway on Saturday night, scoring a third place finish.
It marks no surprise, honestly. Butler is a past champion of the division and he has won the end of the season invitational a couple times. Needless to say, he was one of the early season favourites based on his credentials. Expect Butler to reach victory lane a couple times over the year.
